Stuffing box



Sept. 27, 1932. c pRUlETT 1,879,478

I v STUFFING BOX Filed Feb. 5, 1950 JNVENTOR.

E. L.. FRLHETT wjw A TTORN E YS.

Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES CHARLES LEROY PRUIETT, :OFVENTURA, CALIFORNIA STUFFING BOX Application filed February 1930; SerialNo. 426,685.

This invention relates to improvements in stuffing boxes and hasparticular reference to a stufiing box for use with oil wells or otherdeep wells, and may be employed for either a reciprocating rod or for arotary rod.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a stuffing boxadapted to be attached to the upper portion of the well casing, which519 stuifing box may be packed during the pumping operation of the well.

A further object is to produce a stuffing box which is economical tomanufacture, simple in construction, highly efficient in use,

and one which may be readily assembled.

A still further object is to provide means whereby the packing may bequickly adj usted so as to increase the compressive force.

Other objects and advantages will be ap- 29 parent during the course ofthe following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

Figure I is a side elevation of my device partly broken away so as toshow the mechanism thereof, and

Figure II is a cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure I.

In deep wells there is a polish rod which extends down into the well andwhich rod is reciprocated for the purpose of actuating the pump plungernear the bottom of the well. This polish rod passes through a stuffingbox secured to the top of the well casing and heretofore as far asapplicant is aware of it has been necessary to shut down the well duringthe act of repacking the stuffing 4 box. Applicant has devised a meanswhereby this packing may be accomplished without shutting down theoperation of the well and he accomplishes the same in a novel manner.

In the accompanying drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration isshown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designatesthe ordinary polish rod which extends from the pump rigging into 5 thewell. Surrounding this polish rod is a casting 6 having a taperedthreaded lower portion 7 which is adapted to threadedly engage the topof the well casing not shown. The upper end of this casting is alsothreaded as shown at 8 so as to receive a compression 65 centrally boredand within which is placed packing material 21. The central bore hasformed near its upper end an annular ring 17, the lower surface of whichis formed at right angles to the wall of the bore while v the uppersurface tapers toward the wall of the bore.

An opening 18 extends through the casting 6 and communicates with thebore 16 the purpose of which will be later seen. A compresser 19 iscarried in the compression nut 9 and has its lower extremity so formedas to enter the bore 16 so as to compress the packing material 21. Atapered bushing 22 is mounted upon the polish rod and has its lowerextremity extending into a slot 23 formed in the casting 6 and heldtherein as by 7 set screws 24. This bushing 22 has a ledge 26 whichledge is formed above the opening 18 and so as to lie within the bore16. It will be noted that the compression nut 9 when in contact with thecompresser 19 provides a well 27 into which oil may be placed for thepurpose of lubricating the polish rod 5.

The operation of my device is as follows Assuming that the same has beenattached to a pump in operation all the parts will remain stationarywith the exception of the polish rod 5 which passes back and forththerethrough. By moving the handles 13 and 14 to a horizontal positionthe compression nut may be rotated so that the compresser 19 will forcethe packing 21 forth into the bore 16, past the annular shoulder 17 andinto the space between the bushing 22 and the wall of the bore, theresult being that when it engages the shoulder 26 it will have servedits useful purpose and will be expelled into the space below theshoulder from which space it can be withdrawn through the opening 18. Byloosening the nut 9 and raising the same more packing material may beinserted in the bore and at the same time the shoulder 17 will preventthe packing Within the bore from rising and consequently a leakage willoccur around the polish rod.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim In a stufiing box of thecharacter described, a casting, said casting having a bore formedtherein, a bushing positioned Within said bore, a shoulder formed onsaid bushing, a shoulder formed Within said bore and inte gral with saidcasting, means for forcing a packing into said bore so as to bepositioned between said shoulders, said means including a compressormovable into said bore, a nut threadedly engaging said casting for thepurpose of moving said compresser into said bore and handles adapted tobe moved to a horizontal position for rotating said nut.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES LEROY PRUIETT.

